As the population ages, cases of bone fracture and skeletal fragility, such as those caused by osteoporosis, have become more prevalent. The development of medical procedures to combat these problems has become increasingly vital. One procedure to prevent progressive bone loss and structural weakness in patients with bone fractures is the injection of bone cement (or cement-like material) into the damaged area. The procedure is performed to reinforce the fractured bone, prevent further damage, and alleviate pain associated with the injury.
The cement delivery process is a percutaneous procedure performed by highly skilled medical personnel. Using X-ray, fluoroscopic guidance, or other imaging techniques, the physician positions a needle through the patient's skin and into the affected area. After other equipment, including a cement delivery apparatus, is attached to the needle, medical grade cement is injected into the patient. The cement is injected in a liquid form that quickly hardens to reinforce the damaged area. The procedure can often provide pain relief and increased mobility for the patient within only a few days.
The medical personnel who work to treat bone fractures, however, are faced with significant challenges. Conventional devices used to deliver the bone cement to the patient are complex, costly, and difficult to use. Simpler devices are often less effective in delivering the bone cement to the patient, leading to longer and more traumatic surgical procedures for the patient. Still other devices are difficult to clean and maintain, and cannot be used for multiple procedures, leading to greater expense for the medical provider, and consequently, the patient.
Moreover, the kits in which cement dispenser devices are provided to medical personnel are often inadequately and inefficiently designed. Kit products on the market for bone cement delivery today typically allow the user up to two cement dispensers per kit. If the physician takes on a procedure that requires more than two injections of cement, they must either try to clean out a device that they just used, or open up another kit. Given the high cost of each kit, the procedure becomes expensive if more than one kit is used. Moreover, the cement that is used for these procedures begins to harden after about 20 minutes, making it quite difficult to clean up a device for multiple uses. Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus and kit that provides medical personnel with a safe, effective, affordable, flexible, and convenient system for the percutaneous delivery of bone cement.